Removably supported lorry platform

ABSTRACT

A load-receiving platform with means enabling it to be supported on for instance lorries, railway-carriages, and ships, and removably secured thereto during transport, and with legs supporting the platform during loading, said legs being arranged for displacement upwards during transport and being supported on holders, having means to permit said holders to be moved aside to increase the lateral distance between said support legs.

I Umted States Patent 1 [111 3,773,199

Arvidsson Nov. 20, 1973 [54] REMOVABLY SUPPORTED LORRY 2,898,872 8/1959Hastings, Jr. 296/35 A X PLATFORM 2,985,482 5/1961 Lion...' 254/45 X3,521,902 7/1970 Akers 214/515 X [75] Inventor: Carl-Eric Arvidsson,Laholm,

Sweden FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73 Assignee: Lagaholm A B Laholmw d 1,164,669 9/1969 Grmt Britain 214/515 22 i Jam 24 1972 PrimaryExaminer-Albert J. Makay An --J. K H t a]. 211 Appl. No.: 220,305 mgmess e [57] ABSTRACT 130] Foreign Applicaflo Priority A load-receivingplatform with means enabling it to be Jan. 25, I971 Sweden 788/71supported on for in tan e lorries, railway-carriages, and ships, andremovably secured thereto during [52] 11.8. C1. 214/515, 254/45 tr nport and with legs upporting the platform dur- [51] Int. Cl B60p 1/64 il di aid l being arranged for displacement [58] Field of Search 214/515;296/35 A; upwards during trans ort and being supported on 254/45holders, having means to permit said holders to be moved aside toincrease the lateral distance between [56] References Cited said supportlegs.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 Claims 5 Drawing Figures 2,925,930 2/1960 Parks214/515 3,363,803 1/1968 Abolins 296/35 A X 4 20 4 4E3} T: 5i-:: E ::l-:EE':-:: .1Z :::::::::::1 1 /2 4| a n 79 I Li f q s. r a i o 8 f f H HLH r-| H i l W1 i 4 //L"'X I /4 2 :1 F721 I 5 6 9 10 I2 12 10 PAIFNTEUHUY P0 I975 SIITT 2 C? 3 Fig.2

REMOVABLY SUPPORTED LORRY PLATFORM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thepresent invention relates to load-receiving platforms of the type which'are removably supported on a lorry, truck or similar vehicles oftransportation.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a load-receivingplatform of essentially rectangular configuration and having verticalwall sections along its sides, said platform being so devised that itmay be readily and conveniently lifted and handled by cranes, fork-lifttrucks and similar mechanisms and that without risk of tilting it may betransported on lorries having a comparatively narrow chassis, onrailwaycarriages, cargo ships and other land-going or sea-going vehiclesof transportation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention thus concerns a universal loadingplatform. The platform in accordance with the invention is characterisedby, in combination, the provision of comer boxes at all four comers ofthe platform, said boxes having bottom holes to receive therein uprightguide pins positioned on railway carriages or other vehicles, and wallholes for insertion therethrough of locking bolts,

upwardly displaceable legs at all four comers of the platform,

openings provided at the side sections of the platform to permitinsertion through said openings of the lifting forks of a fork lift, and

longitudinal support beams provided at the lower surface of theplatform, said beams having flanges adapted by means of locking means tobe secured to the loading vehicle during transport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described moreindetail in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a loading platform in accordance with theinvention, the platform being supported on its legs,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one end of the loading platform,

FIG. 3 is a rear view of a loading vehicle supporting a loading platformin accordance with the invention,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a loading platform as seen obliquelyfrom the front incorporating a modified embodiment of the means fordisplacing the support legs laterally, and illustrating one of thesupport legs being moved outwards to facilitate reversing of a lorry inunderneath the platform, and

FIG. 5 is a similar perspective view illustrating the support leg havingbeen moved to its inner position and displaced upwards in drivingposition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The loading platform 1illustrated in the drawings is provided at each corner with a post 2, 3.At their upper ends, the posts 2, 3 are provided with mountings 4 topermit the platform to be lifted by means of a lifting crane of yoketype and lifting hooks suspended at the end thereof. At each one of thefour platform corners there is a corner box 5 in the bottom surface ofwhich holes are provided to receive therein vertical guide boltsprovided on, for instance, railroad-carriages or cargo ships on whichthe loading platform is to be transported. The walls of the comer boxes5 have openings 6 through which locking bolts may pass so as to permitthe loading platform to be removably secured to the guide bolts.Vertical holders 7 are also provided at the four comers of the loadingplatform, these holders being joumalled on vertical hinges 8 or similarmeans on the platform such that they may be swung outwards from theposition shown in dash-and-dot lines in FIG. 2. At the lower end eachsuch holder 7 supports a telescopically extensible leg 10 which ismounted on a horizontal bolt 9 for turning movement about said bolt andwhich leg may be secured in its folded-down position by means of a bolt11.

Openings 12 are provided in the side sections of the loading platform 1,these openings being dimensioned and positioned relatively each othersuch as to permit the lifting 'forks of a fork lift truck to be insertedthrough said openings for displacement of the loading platform.

The platform has two longitudinally extending 1- section iron bars 13serving as support beams. The lower flange 13' of each support beamextends below the bottom surface of the platform 1 and is used to lockthe platform to the chassis 14 of a lorry 15 on which the platform is tobe transported. The lorry illustrated in FIG. 3 is provided with lockingpins 16 which, in the locking position, extend over and engage theflanges l3 and which are mounted on a lifting frame 17 on the chassis14.

Foldable flaps 18, 19 are provided on both the longitudinal and thetransverse walls of the platform 1 and a cover 20 may enclose the entireload.

When the loading platform 1, for instance while supported on its legs10, has been loaded and the cover 20 arranged overthe load, the lorry 15is moved backwards such that its rear takes a position underneath theplatform-reversing of the lorry being facilitated due to the swingablearrangement of the holders 7 which are previously swung away to increasethe lateral distance between the legs 10 and the entire loading platformis hoisted by means of the lifting frame 17 and secured thereto by meansof the locking pins 16. The legs 10 are thereafter swung upwards (thisposition being indicated with dash-and-dot lines in FIG. 1) and thelorry may be driven for instance to the loading quay of a harbour. Atthis point, the loading platform is lifted by a crane, the lifting booksof which, mounted at the ends of two lifting yokes, having been securedin the platform mountings 4, and the platform is thereafter transferredonto a ship and lowered into the cargo-space or onto the deck, carebeing taken that upright guide pins thereon will engage in the comerboxes 5 of the platform. The platform is thereafter fastened by means oflocking pins inserted through the holes 6, and the guide pins. Atarrival, unloading from the ship is carried out in the same simplemanner with the aid of a lifting crane and, if desired, the loadingplatform may be lifted onto a railwaycarriage having correspondinguptight locking pins to which the platform may be removably secured. Afork lift truck may be used to unload the platform from therailway-carriage, should no lifting crane be available, in which casethe lifting fork of the fork lift is inserted into the side openings 12on the platform. When the legs 10 have been swung downwards, the forklift may deposit the loading platform on the ground. By means of a lorry15 it is thereafter possible to move the loading platform with theentire load supported thereon to the point of destination.

In accordance wite the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 the lowercorner box 5' is rigidly connected to the holder 7 supporting theadjacent leg 10. The holder 7 is provided with a preferably tubularguide rod 21 which is slidably mounted in a transverse guide (not shown)integral with the lower part of the platform 1. Owing to thisarrangement, the holder and the leg 10 associated therewith, the upperend of which is mounted for swinging movement about the bolt 9, as wellas the comer box 5 associated with the holder, all become displaceablefrom an inner position wherein the holder and corner box lie within thecontour of the platform 1 (FIG. 5) to an outer position (FIG. 4) whereinthe leg assumes a position at a distance of, e.g., centimeters to theside of the platform. In this outer position, also the corner box 5',having an inner support edge 24 with a curved configurationcorresponding to the shape of the mudguard 22 above the vehicle runningwheel 23, is positioned at the side of the platform. These arrangementsmake it easy for the driver to reverse the vehicle, positioning the rearthereof underneath the platform 1 while the latter is supported on itslegs 10.

When the platform 1 has been lifted by means of the vehicle liftingframe 17, the holders 7 together with the associated legs 10 and cornerboxes 5' are moved to the inner position (FIG. 5) in which they arelocked by a blocking means 25, whereupon the legs are pushed upwards(FIG. 5) and the platform is ready to be carried away on the vehicle.

The embodiment as described and illustrated is to be regarded as anexample only and the various details of the loading platform may beconstructively altered in a variety of ways within the scope of theappended claims. For instance, the loading platform may be provided withsolid side walls and short-end walls as well as with a roof; in otherwords, it may consist of a container having standard measures, e.g. a 20foot ISO- container having corner boxes 5 at all eight corners.

What I claim is:

l. A load-receiving platform of essentially rectangular configurationhaving vertical wall sections along its sides, said platform beingremovably supported on a lorry, truck or similar loading vehicle,characterized by, in combination,

one comer box positioned at each one of the four corners of saidplatform, comprising bottom holes in each such box for receiving thereinguide pins arranged on railway-carriages or other vehicles oftransportation, and holes in the walls of said box for receiving lockingbolts therein to removably lock said platform to said vehicle,

support legs, one such leg being arranged at each one of said fourcorners of said platform, one holder for each support leg, a horizontalshaft carried by each holder and pivotally supporting the respecu'vesupport leg for swinging movement,

means to secure each support leg in a vertical position against therespective holder, said holders being movably supported between aposition in which a truck body may pass between the extended supportlegs and a position spaced inwardly therefrom,

openings made in said side sections of said platform to permit insertionthrough said openings of the lifting fork of a fork lift, and

longitudinal support beams extending along the lower face of saidplatform and comprising flanges, locking means being provided to retainsaid beam flanges in engagement with said loading vehicle duringtransport.

2. A load-receiving platform as set forth in claim 1 wherein the holdersare slidably supported for movement between their positions.

3. A load-receiving platform as set forth in claim 1 wherein the holdersare supported for pivotal movement between their positions aboutvertically extending axes.

1. A load-receiving platform of essentially rectangular configurationhaving vertical wall sections along its sides, said platform beingremovably supported on a lorry, truck or similar loading vehicle,characterized by, in combination, one corner box positioned at each oneof the four corners of said platform, comprising bottom holes in eachsuch box for receiving therein guide pins arranged on railway-carriagesor other vehicles of transportation, and holes in the walls of said boxfor receiving locking bolts therein to removably lock said platform tosaid vehicle, support legs, one such leg being arranged at each one ofsaid four corners of said platform, one holder for each support leg, ahorizontal shaft carried by each holder and pivotally supporting therespective support leg for swinging movement, means to secure eachsupport leg in a vertical position against the respective holder, saidholders being movably supported between a position in which a truck bodymay pass between the extended support legs and a position spacedinwardly therefrom, openings made in said side sections of said platformto permit insertion through said openings of the lifting fork of a forklift, and longitudinal support beams extending along the lower face ofsaid platform and comprising flanges, locking means being provided toretain said beam flanges in engagement with said loading vehicle duringtransport.
 2. A load-receiving platform as set forth in claim 1 whereinthe holders are slidably supported for movement between their positions.3. A load-receiving platform as set forth in claim 1 wherein the holdersare supported for pivotal movement between their positions aboutvertically extending axes.